According to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, the new Edmonton Oilers lines are at practice, with Warren Foegele moved to the top line, replacing Mattias Janmark.
According to Bob Stauffer of the Edmonton Oilers, Leon Draisaitl and Troy Stecher did not play. Kris Knoblauch, the Oilers’ coach, told the media that Adam Henrique and Draisaitl are both out for the day.
My take: 1. New day, new winger on the top line. Why not? The Oilers have struggled to score at even strength during the playoffs. Last game, Connor McDavid had no shots on goal. It makes sense to bring more aggressive players, such as Foegele, to the front line.
2. McDavid only made one contribution to a Grade A shot in Game One. Not good. He made seven such contributions each game throughout the regular season.
McDavid is killing it on the power play more than ever this playoff season, but his ability to create Grade A shots at even strength has been slashed in half and then some.
McDavid averaged 4.8 significant contributions to Grade A shots per game at even strength throughout the regular season. In the playoffs, he is down to 2.2 per game. He’s only had one in the last three games.
Edmonton’s outstanding power play performance has overshadowed the fact that McD and the other elite Oilers are suffering at even strength in the playoffs.
Obviously, Edmonton would benefit significantly if the team captain could find a way to score more frequently at even strength.
3. Foegele scored like a Top 6 forward this season at even strength. His 2.19 points per 60 ranked 60th in the NHL among forwards who have played at least 600 minutes of 5-on-5.
He can earn his place as an attacker while also playing well defensively. Last season, he excelled in the playoffs as part of a checking line alongside Derek Ryan and Ryan McLeod. He’s probably a better option than Mattias Janmark, who had a strong playoff performance versus Los Angeles. When he was promoted up to the top line in Game One versus Vancouver, however, the action finished on his stick much too frequently.
4. Foegele began the playoffs on the second line alongside Leon Draisaitl, but he was unable to maintain his position due to Evander Kane’s improved play, and he was demoted to the fourth line after Dylan Holloway stepped up. But the Oilers need more energy in the Top 6, so here we are, giving Foegele another chance to shine.
5. Coach Kris Knoblauch blamed Draisaitl’s injury woes in Wednesday night’s 5-4 loss on cramping and equipment issues. That could be true, but having Draisaitl on the ice for practice would have been a lot more encouraging sign.
6. The defensive pairings stay unchanged, which will frustrate fans who want Cody Ceci out of the lineup due to his troubles. However, such an extreme approach would be out of character for Knoblauch.
At the same time, we may expect more from Ceci, who was late twice returning to defence, first losing the Oilers a breakaway and the second time leading to the winning goal against. Connor Garland, the goal scorer, was Ceci’s check. Ceci’s sluggish return to the neutral zone forced Darnell Nurse to cover both the pass receiver, whom Nurse had been covering at center ice, and the streaking Garland. That’s a difficult task for any d-man, even an athletic skater like Nurse.
